Ph.D., Neuroscience

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

2020 - 2014

• Advisors: Larry J. Young; Mar M. Sanchez
• GPA: 4.0

B.S., Neuroscience
B.A., Spanish

Indiana University

Bloomington, IN

2011 - 2007

• Departmental Honors and Highest Distinction
• Linguistics minor
• GPA: 3.967

• Study Abroad:
  University of Otago, New Zealand (Spring 2010)
  Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Peru (Fall 2009)
  Comparative Education Study Tour, Japan/China (May 2009)
  African Diaspora Studies Summer Program, Ghana (May 2008)

GRADUATE

N/A

2020 - 2014

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (2015-2020)
• Graduates in Neuroscience Scientific Outreach (2016)
• Laney Development Council Leadership Award (2016)
• Emory Graduate Diversity Fellowship (2014 -2019)

UNDERGRADUATE

N/A

2011 - 2007

• Indiana University Herman B Wells Scholar: 1 of 25 full-ride scholarships to Indiana University (2007-2011)
• Senator Richard G. Lugar Scholar: 1 of 2 recipients of $20k award from Fund for Hoosier Excellence to attend college in Indiana (2007- 2011)
• Others: James Dinsmoor Award in Psychological and Brain Sciences, Margaret Russell Edmondson Undergraduate Research Award in Genetics, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Founders Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Hudson & Holland Scholar, Hispanic Heritage Award for Academic Excellence

Teacups, Giraffes, & Statistics

Online modules for learning statistics and R

bit.ly/giraffe-stats

2020 - 2019

• R Markdown website to teach statistics using a fictional story about miniature giraffes.
• Created 50+ original illustrations, including hand-annotated and animated plots.
• Co-authored with Hasse Walum.

Emory University Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Doctoral research

Atlanta, GA

2019 - 2014

• Modeled the relationship between genetic factors and social behavior.
• Applied parametric and non-parametric methods and simulations in R.
• Collaborated with technicians, scientists, and students to collect and manage raw data for longitudinal studies.

RStudio

Summer intern with Alison Hill

Remote

2019

• Developed an online book for educators to leverage data science tools
• Created guides for building R Markdown-related websites, tutorials, and data packages.
• Designed templates with custom HTML and CSS for out-of-the-box implementation

Data Science for Scientists ATL

Member

Atlanta, GA

2019

• Participated in planning regular data science talks and co-working code sessions, and workshops.

Emory Coding Club

Co-founder

Atlanta, GA

2019

• Taught R to students and trainees at Emory University

IU Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Undergraduate researcher, Rebec Lab

Indiana University

2010 - 2008

• Defended honors thesis on dysfunctional information processing in Huntington’s disease.
• Received 1st place in poster presentations at 4 of 5 conferences participated

Sharing on Short Notice

Invited webinar

RStudio

2020

• Co-delivered international webinar on quickly building R Markdown websites and hosting online.

The Wonderful World of R Markdown

Online workshop

Marcus Autism Center Coding Club

2020

• Taught an introduction to R Markdown and hosting HTML pages on Netlify.

Introduction to Machine Learning with the Tidyverse

rstudio::conf 2020

San Francisco, CA

2020

• Served as a TA for a two day workshop on introducing users to tidymodels, tidyverse packages for doing machine learning.

Undergraduate mentor

Young Lab

Atlanta, GA

2019 - 2018

• Supervised undergraduate for honors thesis research projects

Atlanta Chapter for Society for Neuroscience

Graduate representative

Emory University

2017 - 2015

• Coordinated a program to pair neuroscientists from 3 universities to 60 local K-12 schools for outreach visits, reaching over 5,000 students, and increasing rate of successful pairs by 22% from previous year.
• Planned series of hands-on science demos at the Atlanta Science Festival, presenting to 1000+ public visitors.

Graduates in Neuroscience Curriculum Committee

Elected representative

Emory University

2017 - 2015

• Redesigned course evaluations, increasing student response rate from 53% to 90% and increasing the proportion of descriptive feedback for each lecturer by a factor of 4.
• Implemented online system that improved ease of access and timeliness for 40+ instructors to receive their evaluations.
• Introduced teaching technique called “Checks for Understanding” and provided guidance to over 40 lecturers on its implementation, which 93% of students rated as having had a positive and helpful effect on first year neuroscience courses.

Atlanta Brain Bee

Chair

Atlanta, GA

2017 - 2015

• Led neuroscience Q&A competition for teens.
• Managed 4 coordinators and 49 volunteers to hold the largest Atlanta Brain Bee, including pre-Bee workshops.
• Designed and led trainings for local winner to prepare for nationals, ultimately placing 3rd at nationals (2016) and top 20 (2017)

Teach For America/ YES Prep Public Schools

Founding 7th Grade Science Teacher

Houston, TX

2013 - 2011

• Selected as one of 5,066 from 47,900 applicants to work in national service corps and teach in under-resourced communities.
• Analyzed achievement data regularly for 145 students to inform instruction and create personalized goals for all students.
• Increased average student achievement in 7th grade science by 12% from the previous year.
• Created over 20 short educational videos for K-12 students in inquiry-based learning and field experiences.

Tidymodels.org

for RStudio

tidymodels.org

2020

• Redesigned site for improved user experience and accessibility

Illustration and Design Consulting

Contracted work

N/A

2020 - 2016

• Developed custom CSS site themes for RStudio educational content
• Produced illustration and/or video content for corporate sites or product campaigns.
• Illustration clients include RStudio, Hewlett Packard Latin America, 20th Century FOX, and French newspaper group Le Monde.

Keeya’s Numbers

Children’s Book

Keeya’s Numbers

2020

• Illustrated story about data science for kids.
• Created with Greg Wilson.

100 Days of Tiny Things

Original project

N/A

2017 - 2015

• Created a daily series of 200 + illustrations, garnering an Instagram following @dcossyle of over 32,000 in less than 2 years
• Featured in international media outlets, including interviews with BBC Mundo, BBC Radio 4, The Guardian, and Refinery29

9th Annual Shorty Awards Finalist

Instagrammer of Year

New York City

2017

• 1 of 6 finalists recognizing the best online content creators
• Nominated for illustration project 100 Days of Tiny Things

Of Teacups, Giraffes, and R Markdown

rstudio::conf 2020

San Francisco, CA

2020

• Talk about how to use narrative, design, and interactivity within R Markdown materials to enhance online content for learners.

How to avoid pseudoreplication in experimental design and analysis

Methods Aside: Institute for Quantitative Theory and Methods, Data Science for Scientists ATL & Graduate Research Interdisciplinary Team of Scholars

Emory University

2019

• Focused on statistical concepts and presented to an interdisciplinary audience

Pseudoreplication: How to avoid it in experimental design and analysis

Data Science for Scientists ATL

Atlanta, GA

2018

• Co-developed with Hasse Walum.

Calculating heritability of rhesus’ social traits using the animal model

Neuroscience Work-in-Progress (WIP) Seminar

Yerkes National Primate Research Center

2018

• Demonstrated Bayesian methods for estimating heritability in a large group of rhesus macaques
• Inter-departmental seminar

Peripheral methylation of OXT and OXTR genes, central oxytocin levels, and social behavior in macaques.

Submitted to Hormones and Behavior.

N/A

2020

• De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Johnson Z, Wilson ME, Barr CS, Young LJ, Sanchez MM

Impact of postnatal exposure to obesogenic diet and low social status on brain structural development in nonhuman primates.

In preparation for submission to Biological Psychiatry.

N/A

2020

• Kyle MH, Kaldas A, Pincus M, Godfrey JR, Kovacs-Balint ZA, Morin EL, De Leon D, Li L, Howell BR, Styner M, Payne C, Ethun K, Wilson M, Sanchez MM.

Heritability and relationship of oxytocin receptor gene variants with social behavior and central oxytocin in colony-reared adult female rhesus macaques

BioRxiv. 2019, DOI: 10.1101/813287.

N/A

2019

• De Leon D, Young L, Walum H, McCormack KM, LaPrairie JL, Lindell SG, Firesryche A, Johnson Z, Wilson ME, Barr CS, Sanchez MM

Genome sequence of Serratia sp. strain ATCC 39006, a model bacterium for the analysis of the biosynthesis and regulation of prodigiosin, a carbapenem and gas vesicles.

Genome Announcements. 2013, 1(6):e01039-13

N/A

2013

• Fineran PC, Iglesias Cans MC, Ramsay JP, Wilf N, Cossyleon D, McNeil MB, Williamson NR, Becher SA, Stanton JS, Brugger K, Brown SD & Salmond GPC

Dysfunctional behavioral modulation of corticostriatal communication in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease.

PloS One. 2012, 7(10): E47026, 1-9.

N/A

2012

• Hong SL, Cossyleon D, Hussain WA, Walker LJ, Barton SJ & Rebec GV

Effects of social subordination and consumption of an obesogenic diet on total brain size and structural development of cortico-limbic regions: a longitudinal study in infant and juvenile macaques.

49th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).

Chicago, IL

2019

• Kyle MH, Kaldas A, Pincus M, Godfrey JR, Kovacs-Balint ZA, Morin EL, De Leon D, Li L, Howell BR, Styner M, Payne C, Ethun K, Wilson M, Sanchez MM

Peripheral methylation of macaque OXT and OXTR genes, oxytocin levels in cerebrospinal fluid, and social behavior.

15th Annual GDBBS DSAC Student Research Symposium

Emory University

2018

• De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM

Peripheral methylation of macaque OXT and OXTR genes, oxytocin levels in cerebrospinal fluid, and social behavior.

Presented at workshop Understanding the Neuroregulatory Actions of Oxtyocin and its Potential Clinical Applications.

Erice, Sicily, Italy

2018

• De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM

Sex differences and genetic variation in oxytocin receptor gene of monogamous prairie voles.

Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Symposium.

Emory University

2018

• Rubin KF, De Leon D, Walum H, Inuoe K, Young LJ

Peripheral methylation of macaque OXT and OXTR genes, oxytocin levels in cerebrospinal fluid, and social behavior.

Yerkes Research Symposium

Yerkes National Primate Research Center

2017

• De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM
• One of five winners for best presentation

Peripheral methylation of macaque OXT and OXTR genes, oxytocin levels in cerebrospinal fluid, and social behavior.

47th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).

Washington, DC

2017

• De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM

Peripheral methylation of macaque OXT and OXTR genes, oxytocin levels in cerebrospinal fluid, and social behavior.

Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (S4SN)

Washington, DC

2017

• De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM